Apparatus



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet. 1.' R. WALLWORK 85 A. C. WELLS.

PNBUMATIC PAINTING APPARATUS.

Patented Peb. 23, 1897.

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{No Medel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. WALLWORK 8u A. C. WELLS.

PNEUMATIG PAINTING; APPARATUS.

. Patented Peb. 23, 1897.

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Ri WALLWORK 8v A. C.v WELLS.

PNBUM-ATIG PAINTING APPARATUS.

NO- 577,522- Patented Pebf23, 1897. -I

.mam

- A* nir-nn STATES ATnNr Finca ROUGHSEDGEVALLVORK ANDvARTI-IUR OOLLINGS VELLS, OF

, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

PN EU MATICPAINTYI NG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 57 7 ,522, dated February 23, 1897. Application filed March 23, 1896. Serial N0. 584,504. (No model.) Patented in England May 3, 1894, No. 8,839.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, RoUGHsEDGE -WALL- woRK and ARTHUR COLLINes WELLS, subjects of the Queen of England, residing` at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Painting Apparatus, (for which we have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, dated May 3, 1894, No. 8,8395) and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

Our invention has relation to the art of applying paint and other similar more or less fluid or viscous bodies, as tar and the like, mechanically to walls and other surfaces; and it has for its object the provision of simple and convenient means, easy of manipulation and control and of great efciency, whereby not only the work of the ordinary coating of a surface with paint or the like may be thoroughly, rapidly, and efficiently effected, but whereby more or less artistic effects in shading and in the blending of colors may be produced.

Referring to tlie accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of an apparatus em# bodying our invention, a portion of the standard for the driving-shaft of the air-compressor being broken away, showing the same hollow and serving as a storage-chamber for compressed air. Fig. 2 is a half-elevation and half-section of a tank for compressed air containing the receptacle or can for the paint or the like. Fig. 3 is a half-plan and half-section thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of the connection between the paint-delivery duct of the aforementioned tank and the flexible pipe or hose carrying the spraying nozzle or ejector. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View of the paint-stirring device and its handle constructed to perform the function of paintdelivery duct, to `which the iiexible pipe or hose carrying the spraying-nozzle is adapted speaking, a suitable source of compressed-air supply, a tank for compressed air adapted to contain one or more receptacles or cans for paint or the likeaspraying-nozzle, and suitable connections between the air and paint passages of said nozzle andthe sources of compressed-air and paint supply.

The air-compressor illustrated in Fig. l, although of a very simple and compact construction, is, however, not absolutely necessaryto the operation of our apparatus, as

any other construction of compressor or any suitable source of compressed-air supply may be used in connection with the other parts of our said apparatus, said' compressor being simply shown as an example of a convenient source of compressed-air supply, and said compressor may be stationary and operated from a steam or other suitable engine or by hand, or it may be a portable hand-operated compressor, according to the requirements of use.

Referring now to Fig. l, the .compressor consists of a hollow standard S, provided with a union coupling s, having a pressure-gage 3Q anda blow-off valve s2, and a branch s3, to which latter is coupled one end of a flexible pipe or hose P. At its upperend the standard S has suitable bearings for a drivingshaft S', carryinga loose and fast belt-pulley p and p/ or a crank-handle h, or both, as shown, and a fly-wheel w, to the wrist-pin of which is journaled the connecting-rod r of the compressing ram or piston, working in a cylinder C on the base s4 of standard S, the compressor-piston being of any usual or wellknown construction and provided with a suitable valve or valves arranged to open onV the upstroke and close on the downstroke, thereby forcing the air drawn in on the upstroke through a suitable passage at the foot ofthe cylinder C into the hollow standard S.

Inasm uch as the construction of compressorpiston is one well known, we have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate the same in detail.

Referring new to Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, T indicates a tank provided ucar its bottom with a valved branch t, adapted to receive a T-coupling t, Figs. l and 3, to which are connected the flexible pipe P, leading to the source ef compressed-airsupply, namely, the standard S, and a flexible pipe P2, connected with the air-passage in the spraying-nozzle N, llig. l, as hereinafter more fully described.

The tank T is constructed with a contracted neck t2, having projections or brackets t3, that form supports for the riln, swell, er Yflange c of a receptacle er can C' for the paint. By suspending the receptacle C within the tank T for said compressed air, said receptaclebeing of less diameter than the interior dialneter of the tank, a space is left around thereceptacle, so that the compressed air can effectually act upon the surface of the paint without exerting undue pressure upon the receptacle itself, as will be readily understood. The contraction of the neck of the tank T forms an offset or shoulder, from which project perforated lugs t3, arranged in pairs and forming bearings for T-shaped bolts t, the stems of which are screw-threaded for the reception of winged or so-called butterfly nuts a2, by means of which the cover T is secured to the tank T, said cover being provided with slotted projections tlfer the stem of the bolts and with an annular groeve into which fits the contracted neck er upper end t2 of the tank, a packinggasket 22 being seated in said groove in order to provide an air-tight joint between the tank and its cover T. The latter is further provided with a branch I and with a screw-threaded socket leading to said branch, into which socket is screwed the paint-delivery pipe'p, that extends nearly tothe bottom of the paint-receptacle C, Fig. 2. To the branch t6 is coupled one end ot` a flexible pipe P3, whose other end is coupled te the spraying-nozzle N in such manner as to conduct the paint to the paint passage er channel in said nozzle, as hereinafter described. The cover T is further provided with a central stuffing-box t7 for the passage of the stirrer-shaft Sprovided with a plurality of stirring er agitating blades b2, a light joint being formed by means of a suitable packing in the stuiiing-bex and a stut'ling-box gland t, screwinginto said stuffing-bex in a well-known manuel'. To the outer end of the stirrer-shaft S2 is secured a handle H2, by means of which the said shaft can be oscillated er rocked for the purpose of agitating the paint in receptacle C/ from time to time, as may be required and for a well-known purpose. lt will be seen that by unlocking the cover T and removing the same the stil-rer is also removed, and ready access is had to the paint receptacle C. The cover T' is further provided with a blow-oft plu g T2 or a valve and with a pressure-gage T3.

For the purpose of preventing solid matter in or skin that may form on the paint in receptacle C from reaching the spraying-nozzle N, and in order that the iiexible paint-conveying pipe may be easily connected with the paint-deliverybranch tin the ceverT of the can, we provide a removable coupling D, adapted to screw into branch t, Fig. t, said coupling being divided into two chambers 2 and 3 by a partition t, an interiorly-threaded branch 5 communicating with chamber through the open or perforated betteln of the partition et. Into the branch 5 screws a strainer-plug (l, whose lower open end seats en the bottom of partitiouit around the openings or perferatiens in said bottom, se that all the paint forced through the branch t bythe pressure of the air in tank T is compelled to flow through the strainer-plu g (5 before reaching the outlet branch 7 ef the coupling D, and as the strainer G is readily removed from said coupling there is no difficulty in freeing the same from solid matter lodged therein. lf desired, the branch t may be provided with a Stop-cock or valve V, Fig. 4, for the purpose of cutting olf the supply of paint from the coupling in case it should become necessary to cleanse the strainer while the apparatus is in operation.

The outlet of the coupling D is a stuffingbox '7, into which screws a hollow gland S, that is provided with. a handle 9 for manipulatin g said gland, and through the latter and the packing l2 in the stulling-box 7 extends a pipe 13, to which the flexible paint' pipe or hose P3 is coupled, so that the latter pipe can be readily removed from the coupling D by unscrewing the gland S and as readily applied and a tight joint maintained. The delivery branch t and paint-delivery pipe p2 may be dispensed with and the dasher er stirrer shaft and its handle H2 maybe employed for the delivery of the paint from the receptacle C, as shown in Fig. 5, in which case the dasher or stirrer shaft S2 is made hollow, as well as a portion of the handle proper, 7i, which is screw-threaded interiorly for the reception of the strainer-coupling D.

The compressed-air-inlet branch t' for the tank T is provided with a needle-valve V fer the purpose of regulating the pressure in the said tank, and consequently the volume of paint delivered to the spraying device.

The last-named device is susceptible to various structu ral changes, the construction depending in a measure upon the nature of the substance te be sprayed, more particularly to the degree of viscosity or fluidity of such substance, and also upon the gra-de or nature of the werk. Thus, for instance, when a comparatively liquid paint is employed, and particularly when the coloring is te be graduated or shaded, the construction of the spraying device will be somewhat different from that of a spraying device adapted to spray semifluid materials, er viscous materials, like tar.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 9 we have shown spray- IOO IIO

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E, in which are formed two passages e e forV compressed air and paint, respectively, said passages leading to coupling branches c2 e3, into which are screwed the airand paint pipes P22 P23, that terminate in a flanged hollow screw-plug 14, onto which screws a couplingsleeve 4l5 on the flanged end of couplings 16, to which the flexible pipes or hose P2 and P3 are respectively coupled in a well-known manner.

The pipes P22 P23, which serve as a handle for the spraying device N, are rigidly connected together by suitable brace or connecting blocks 17 and 17"-, and from said pipes projects a stop-arm 18. The block 17 has a bearing for the fulcrum-pin of a toothed sectorlever L, the arm Z of which is held normally to the stop-arm 18 by a coiled spring on its fulcrum or bya spiral spring 19, connected with said arm l and with the stop-arm 18, respectively.

The flow of paint through passage e' is controlled by a stop-cock or valve v on the spindle o f which is secured a pinion e4 in gear with the toothed sector-arm l of lever L. The casting E is further provided with a transverse passage e5 on a line with a` blow-off branch e3 and intersecting the paint-passage e' and its valve fu', so that when the valve is properly positioned communication can be established between the blow-off branch e6 and passage e for air through the valveway for the purpose of clearing said valveway of any solid matter that may lodge therein and tend to clog or choke up the same. y

Vhen the leverL is in its described normal position, the valve o' is fully open, as shown in Fig. 6, and as the connected pipes P22 and P23 are preferably rigid, as stated, serving as a handle for the spraying device, the operator is enabled with his thumb or forefin ger under the arm Z of the lever L to readily and conveniently control the flow of paint through passage e.

The casting E has two concentric screwthreaded bosses, on the outer one of which is screwed the paint-nozzle n and to the interior smaller boss the air-nozzle n. The outer end or mouth of the paint-nozzle is screw-threaded interiorly for the reception of a sprayingnozzle n3, having a conical or tapering bore, the smaller end of the said nozzle facing the like end of the air-nozzle n, the air and paint passages e and e' communicating with said nozzles n and n', respectively. By means of the auxiliary spraying-nozzle n3 the paint supplied thereto under the action of the coinpressed air is thoroughly and completely atomized or sprayed, and by varying the supply of paint beautiful and uniform shading or grading of colors can be readily obtained with very little practice. The casting E is further provided with a hook h3, so that the spraying device can be hung up and the paint allowed to flow back through the paint channels and pipes when the spraying device is not in use.

It will be observed that all the parts of which the spraying device is composed are detachably connected together, so that the cleansing of the same is readily effected.

Instead of inclosing the air-nozzle in the paint-nozzle, as shown in Fig. 6, the paint-nozzle may be inclosed in the air-nozzle, as shown in Fig. 7.

In the use of less fluid paints or when tar or similar substances are to be sprayed we dispense with the auxiliary nozzle n3, as

shown in Fig. 8, and, if desired, the paint passage or channel e' may be directly connected with the paint-pipe P3, and the latter may be directly introduced into a paint pot or can, as, for instance, when the apparatus is used at great elevations, as on scaffolding in front of buildings, ships, or the like, to avoid the forcing of the paint through long lines of pipe, and, as the spraying device shown in Figs. 6 to 8 operates in the same manner as an ordinary lifting and forcing injector, the paint is readily drawn into the spraying device from the pot or can near at hand, and the supply can be readily controlled by means of the stop-cock or valve c', which may in this case be provided with the usual handle.

In View of the construction of the spraying device it is obvious that the paint maybe forced even through long lines of piping under a comparatively low air-pressure, the injector, or, more properly speaking, the ejector, spraying device assisting the flow of paint very materially.

We have hereinbefore stated that both the tank T and the spraying device are supplied with air under pressure from the compressorreservoir. It is obvious, however, that the said spraying device may be supplied with air from the tank; and the details of construction may also be varied without departing from the nature of our invention, while the tank T may be mounted on wheels for purposes of ready transportation.

Inasmuch as the pressure of the air supplied to the spraying-nozzle may be readily controlled and the force under which the paint is ejected from said device regulated, it is obvious that said paint vmay be driven from the nozzle with sufficient force to effectually penetrate all recesses or inequalities in the surface to be painted, thereby effecting a great saving in labor as compared with handpainting.

Ve have hereinbefore described and shown in the drawings as a convenient and preferred arrangement an open paint-pot suspended within a t-ank adapted to contain air under pressure. It is, however, obvious that this arrangement is not absolutely necessary, substantially the same results being obtained by allowing the paint-pot to stand on the bottom of the tank and providing any suitable and well-known means for holding such pot IOO IIO

against displacement. XVe have also described means whereby obstructions in the paint-valve o may be removed by placing said valve in communication with the atmosphere through a blow-off branch c and with the passage c for compressed air through a passage c5. It is obvious that these connections may be dispensed with, and solid matter entering the valve-passage on the feed side may be removed by imparting to the valve e" a complete revolution, so as to reverse the position of its passage relatively to the feed-pipe, whereby solid matter lodging in one end of the valve-passage will be forced .out by the paint itself by reversing the position of the valve through the medium of the rack and pinion e4 l', as will be readily understood.-

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is-

l. An apparatus such as described, comprising a spraying device provided with a paint and an air duct, a closed tank, an open paintreceptacle therein and a paintpassage leading from the paint-receptacle to the paintduct in the spraying device, in combination with an air-compressor, a storage-chamber for the compressed air, mechanism for operating the compressor carried by said chamber, and means for conveying the compressed air from the storage-chamber to the aforesaid tank and to the air-passage in the spraying device, respectively, for the purpose set forth.

2. An apparatus such as described, comprising a spraying device provided with a paint and an air duct, a closed tank, an open -liiaint-receptacle therein and a paint-passage leading from the paint-receptacle to the paintduct in the spraying device, in combination with an air-compressor, a storage-chamber for the compressed air, mechanism for operating the compressor carried bysaid chamber, flexible pipes con neet-i n g the storage-chamber with the aforesaid tank and the latter with the airduct in the spraying device, for the purpose set forth.

3. An apparatus such as described comprising a spraying device provided with a paint andan air passage, a closed tank, an open paint vessel therein, a paint-duct leading from near the bottom of the paint vessel to the outside of the tank, and a flexible pipe connection between said paint-duet and the like passage in the spraying device, in combination with an air-compressor, a storagechamber for the compressed air, mechanism for operating the compressor carried by said chamber, and flexible-pipe connections connecting the chamber with the aforesaid tank and the latter with the airspassage in the spraying device, for the purpose set forth.

Lt. An apparatus such as described comprising a closed tank adapted to contain air under pressure, an open paint-receptacle in said tank, a paintdelivery duct opening near the bottom of said receptacle and leading to the outside of the tank, and a spraying device having two passages, one for painty and one for air adapted to be respectively connected with the aforesaid delivery-duct and with a source of compressed-air supply, for the purpose set forth.

5. An apparatus such as described, comprising a closed tank adapted to contain air under pressure, an open paint-receptacle suspended in said tank above the bottom thereof, a paintdelivery duct opening near the bottom of said receptacle and leading to the outside of the tank, and a spraying device provided with two passages one for paint and one for air, adapted to be respectively con Anected with the aforesaid paint-delivery d uct and with a source of compressed-air supply, for the purpose set forth.

6. An apparatus such as described, comprisin g a closed tank adapted to contain air under pressure, an open paint-receptacle in said tank, a paint-delivery duct opening near the bottom of said receptacle and leading to the outside of the tank, and a spraying de vice having two passages one for paint and one for air, adapted to be respectively connected with the aforesaid delivery-duct and with a source of compressed-air supply, in combination with an agitator or stirrer for the paint-receptacle, for the purposes set forth.

7. An apparatus such as described, comprising a closed tank adapted to contain air under pressure, au open paint-receptacle in said tank, a paint-delivery duct leading from near the bottom of said receptacle to the outside of the tank, a spraying device having concentric passages for air and paint and a flexible pipe connected with the aforesaid paint-delivery duct and paintpassage, in combination with an air-compressor, a compressed-air chamber connected therewith and flexible pipes connecting the said chamber with the aforesaid tank and with the passage for air in the spraying device, for the purpose set forth.

8. An apparatus such as described, comprising a tank adapted to contain air under pressure, an open paint-receptacle contained in said tank, a stirring or agitating device consisting of a tubular open-ended agitatorshaft provided with suitable blades and extending nearly to the bottom of the paintreceptacle and to the outside of the tank, and a channeled handle on the outer end of said shaft, said handle provided with an outlet constructed for connection with a suitable paint-delivery pipe, for the purpose set forth.

9. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the paint-conveying pipe and the source of paint-supply, of an intermediate pipe terminating in a stuffing-box, a strainer interposed in said pipe, and a tubular stufling-box gland for the reception of the paint-conveying pipe, said gland provided with a handle and adapted to screw into the stufing-box of said pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

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l0. In an apparatus such as described, a spraying device constructed to be held in the hand comprising a casting provided with two passages, one for paint and one for air, With a purge or blow-off branch in communication With the passage for paint, and with a passage adapted to connect the purge or blow-off branch with the passage for air through said passage for paint, in combination With avalve or stop-cock adapted to control the flow of paint through its passage and the flow of air through the purge or blow-off branch, a pinion on the valve-spindle, and the spring-controlled toothed sector-lever in gear with said pinion, for the purpose set forth.

Il. In an apparatus such as described, a spraying device comprising two concentric nozzles, passages for paint and air leading to said nozzles, a rigid pipe-section connected with each of said passages, said pipe-sections rigidly connected together and forming a handle for the spraying device, in combination With a source of paint-supply, a source of compressed-air supply and flexible pipes connecting the paint and air passages in the spraying device with the source of supply of paint and `compressed air, respectively, for the purpose set forth.

12. In an apparatus suchl as described, a tank adapted to contain compressed air and provided near its upper end with interior inward projections or brackets, in combination with a receptacle for paint provided with a rim-flange adapted to seat on the aforesaid projections, a cover adapted to close the open end of the tank fluid-tight, and a paint-delivery duct extending from the cover near to the bottom of the paint-receptacle, for the purpose set forth.

13. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with a spraying device constructed to be held in the hand and provided With separate passages for paint and air, a valve for controlling the flow of paint through said paint-passage and a purge or blow-off branch leading from the air-passage to the atmosphere and intersecting the paint-passage, of a lever in reach of the ngers of the hand that holds the spraying devices, said lever adapted to move the valve so as to bring the passage therein in line with said blow-off branch wherebyl the valve-passage can be freed from obstructions by a finger of the hand that holds the spraying device, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention We have signed our names in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROUGHSEDGE WALLWORK. ARTHUR COLLINGS WELLS.

Vitnesses as to signature of Roughsedge l/Vallwork:

HERBERT ROTHWELL, FRANK PARKINsoN.

Witnesses as to signature of Arthur Collings Wells:

ARTHUR C. HALL, JOHN W. THOMAS. 

